Year 2016-2017 sees 9% Dropout in IITs
The Latest data released by the ministry of human resources development (MHRD) states that Indian Institutes of Technology have seen 9% (889) drop out in the 2016-17 academic year. 71% (630) were PG students, 196 PhD scholars and 63 undergraduates. This year marks an increase of 35% over the 2015-16 stats, where 656 students dropped out of the 23 IITs. Most dropouts (27%) were from IIT-Roorkee, followed by Delhi (20.6%), Kanpur (17.4%) and Kharagpur (10.6%).
Reasons for Increased Dropouts
MHRD states that PhD and postgraduate students left courses midway to take on placements in public sector enterprises or other better opportunities.Undergraduates left due to poor choices or performances, besides any personal reasons.
35% of faculty posts in IITs remain still remains vacant. Of the 13,012 sanctioned posts, over 4,500 remain vacant. So faculty shortage is also acts as another reason.The ministry has decided to allow faculty working under central government to join IITs to tackle this situation. It is also inviting alumni, scientists, experts and foreign faculties to teach at IITs.
An alarming number of death in various IITs is also another reason as well. There has been reports of eight deaths from six IITs during this academic year. Four of these deaths were unnatural and four accidental. Three unnatural deaths were reported from IIT-Kharagpur and there was a suicide report from IIT-Varanasi. IIT-Madras and Roorkee reported an accident each. One student from IITBhubaneswar died due to asphyxia caused by drowning in the sea while an IIT-Mandi student drowned in a river.
